One of the common responses I get when asking my clients about their email lists is that they don’t bother with it anymore, why would they when Facebook or Instagram is enough? But if recent events have shown us anything (with Facebook going down for the day) it’s that we need an email list. If you rely solely on social media to communicate with your customers you are always at the mercy of them allowing you to communicate with your customers. Even a massive corporation like Facebook that has complete control of its sites still communicates directly with their own customer base via email. And there’s a reason for that. Email marketing is one of the primary drivers of traffic to your website.
Email lists are important because email marketing is the BEST WAY TO CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS. Research tells us that you are 6 times more likely to get a higher click-through rate through emails than twitter and are 40 times more effective at generating more customers than Facebook.
Emails are personal, they are targeted on a 1-2-1 basis (or that’s how they look to the receiver) and they have an intentional message and unlike your social pages you OWN YOUR EMAIL LISTS.
Email lists have a high conversion rate and as you build up your list you will be able to consistently GENERATE PASSIVE REVENUE streams by pitching multiple treatment services and home care products.
Most consumers check their emails several times a day and are more likely to read the content than when scrolling through social media platforms. Let’s face it, it’s one of the first things social media platforms ask you for when you register with them. So, if they are building an email list, chances are you should be too!
Ideally you should be collecting a list of your existing and potential customers email addresses (with their permission of course) so that you can send out REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS to your clients regarding your treatments available, skincare advice, offers and other information about your business. It doesn’t have to feel ‘spammy’ with a regular monthly newsletter style, but more of that later.
Usually, you would store this email list on one of the Email Marketing Software (EMS) packages which will provide an efficient and time saving method for you to communicate quickly with your email list.
When building your email lists post about your email newsletter on social media accounts and don’t forget to explain what visitors will get out of subscribing to your emails. Make your CUSTOMERS FEEL IMPORTANT and part of an exclusive club by joining your email lists. You may want to offer them a product sample or treatment discount the first time they book in with you on treatments and products you want to promote when they first subscribe.
Every email you send should have a purpose. Try to limit the ‘book a treatment’ or ‘buy a product’ scenario as you could risk your customers getting marketing amnesia and make sure it is clear what you want your reader to do next. Whenever I help a client with a new marketing campaign I ask myself these questions to get focused:
1) What is the purpose of this campaign?
2) Is the message clear?
3) Does it contain helpful information that is useful to the customer?
4) Does it show my client is an authority and expert in their field?
5) What do we want the customers to do next? Is it obvious?
6) Is it fun and exciting or does it look like everyone else’s marketing campaigns?
7) Are the images and artwork fresh and exciting and on-point?
8) Does it create DESIRE?
9) Will it make them take ACTION?
If you also add blogs to your website offering skincare and health and wellbeing advice, every time you publish a new post you can notify your email list, which in turn helps INCREASE REPEAT TRAFFIC TO YOUR WEBSITE.
Don’t forget to keep your email lists organised and up to date. It’s crucial when running a successful email campaign that you have a ‘clear out’ of all those subscribers who haven’t been opening your emails, as your open rate will be low potentially skewing your results.
But if you have already started gathering an email list and now have several inactive subscribers, send them a re-engagement email. It might be that they just needed a break from your emails but aren’t looking to unsubscribe entirely. We know from research that re-engaging your old contacts is about 50% CHEAPER than spending money on converting new visitors into your email list. Re-engagement emails gives you the opportunity to understand your clients and what their needs are and provide a solution that is appealing to them and gets them looking out for your emails more often.
Done right email is a very scalable way to MAKE SALES with new customers and build stronger relationships with those who might be ‘on the fence’ about booking an appointment with your salon. It’s up to you to make sure you are sending information your customers are interested in. Let your customers know when new products are being launched. Talk about your business and the people in it and share testimonials from your customers.
So now you know why having your own email list is essential in FUTURE-PROOFING your business. It will help you fill bookings and sell more products and make you MORE MONEY. If you already have your website you have the tools, you have the treatment services, you have the homecare products and you have the expertise to offer advice and guidance to your customers
So, the question is do you have an email list and if not what’s stopping you? Put aside those doubts about not having enough time to create email marketing campaigns. You need to make the time to stay ‘relevant’, have an impactful presence and serve your customers productively. You will soon see how your efforts are attracting more new customers and increase the frequency of visits to your salon from your existing client base.
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